Aluminum Nitride · print state · default condition
Aluminum Nitride Sintered
Properties of the Sintered condition, compared with the other Aluminum Nitride tempers.
Default commercial power-electronics substrate and heat-sink grade: best balance of thermal conductivity, strength and price.
What is Aluminum Nitride Sintered?
Aluminum Nitride Sintered is Aluminum Nitride in the Sintered condition — default commercial power-electronics substrate and heat-sink grade: best balance of thermal conductivity, strength and price. Aluminum Nitride Sintered has a tensile strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi), stronger than 61% of ceramic grades. The elastic modulus is 320 GPa (46.4 Msi). Aluminum Nitride Sintered has a density of 3.29 g/cm³ (0.119 lb/in³), lighter than 69% of ceramic grades. It melts at 2,200°C (3,992 °F).
Advantages
- Conducts heat well — 175 W/m·K (101.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 95% of ceramic grades
Aluminum Nitride Sintered properties
Typical room-temperature values for Aluminum Nitride Sintered — 9 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every Aluminum Nitride temper. Each bar shows where the value sits among the ceramic grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical4
Aluminum Nitride Sintered has a density of 3.29 g/cm³ (0.119 lb/in³), lighter than 69% of ceramic grades. It melts at 2,200°C (3,992 °F).
Mechanical11
Aluminum Nitride Sintered has a tensile strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi), stronger than 61% of ceramic grades. The elastic modulus is 320 GPa (46.4 Msi).
Thermal5
Aluminum Nitride Sintered is rated for continuous service to 1,000°C (1,832 °F). It conducts heat at 175 W/m·K (101.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 95% of ceramic grades. Thermal expansion is 4.5 µm/m·K (2.5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical5
Aluminum Nitride Sintered is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 17 kV/mm (431.8 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹² Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is very good (82/100), better than 60% of ceramic grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Aluminum Nitride Sintered takes about 250 MJ of energy and emits 20 kg of CO₂ — more than 67% of ceramic grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability3
Aluminum Nitride Sintered's machinability is not recommended (5/100, worse than 58% of ceramic grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other Aluminum Nitride tempers and conditions
Aluminum Nitride is also supplied in 3 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the Aluminum Nitride overview.
- SinteredDefaultDefault commercial power-electronics substrate and heat-sink grade: best balance of thermal conductivity, strength and price.1,100 HV
- AlN-140Lower-cost grade with more sintering aid / grain-boundary oxide — use where insulation and moderate heat spreading suffice.1,050 HV
- AlN-200High-purity, oxygen-lean grade with long sinter/anneal cycle — pick for high-power IGBT, laser diode and RF heat spreaders.1,150 HV
- HPHot-pressed billets for thick heat sinks, crucibles and molten-metal parts where maximum density and bend strength matter more than substrate flatness.1,200 HV
Working with Aluminum Nitride Sintered
Is Aluminum Nitride easy to machine?
Green/pre-sintered bodies can be milled or drilled; after sintering only diamond grinding, lapping, ultrasonic or laser cutting (CO2/UV) — expect 5–10× alumina tooling cost.
Can Aluminum Nitride be welded?
Not weldable; joined by active-metal-braze (Ti-containing AgCu) or DBC/DBA copper-aluminium direct bonding, or glass/solder sealing.
Can Aluminum Nitride be formed, bent or molded?
Shaped by tape casting (substrates), dry/isostatic pressing or injection moulding of AlN+Y2O3 powder, then de-bindered and sintered 1700–1900 °C in flowing N2 with ~15–20 % linear shrinkage.
What surface finishes work on Aluminum Nitride?
As-fired, lapped or polished (Ra <0.05 µm) surfaces; metallised by thick-film W/Mo-Mn co-fire, thin-film Ti/Pt/Au sputtering or DBC copper; store dry to avoid surface hydrolysis before metallisation.
Aluminum Nitride chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Y2O3sintering aid; CaO or CaF2 used in some grades | 1 – 5 | 3 |
| Olattice + grain-boundary oxygen; lower O = higher thermal conductivity | 0.5 – 2 | 1 |
| Cresidual from carbothermal reduction | ≤ 0.15 | 0.05 |
| AlNstoichiometric AlN = 65.8 % Al, 34.2 % N | ≥ 94 (balance) | — |
Aluminum Nitride Sintered — frequently asked
What is Aluminum Nitride Sintered used for?
Aluminum Nitride Sintered is typically used for power module substrates (DBC/AMB), heat spreaders for IGBT and MOSFET packages, LED packaging submounts, semiconductor wafer chucks and ceramic heaters, RF and microwave package bases and laser diode submounts. In short: thermally conductive insulator.
What is the tensile strength of Aluminum Nitride Sintered?
Aluminum Nitride Sintered has a typical tensile strength of 200 MPa (29 ksi) — stronger than 61% of ceramic grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is Aluminum Nitride Sintered easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated not recommended (5/100, worse than 58% of ceramic grades). Green/pre-sintered bodies can be milled or drilled; after sintering only diamond grinding, lapping, ultrasonic or laser cutting (CO2/UV) — expect 5–10× alumina tooling cost.
Can Aluminum Nitride Sintered be welded?
Not weldable; joined by active-metal-braze (Ti-containing AgCu) or DBC/DBA copper-aluminium direct bonding, or glass/solder sealing.
What surface finishes work on Aluminum Nitride Sintered?
As-fired, lapped or polished (Ra <0.05 µm) surfaces; metallised by thick-film W/Mo-Mn co-fire, thin-film Ti/Pt/Au sputtering or DBC copper; store dry to avoid surface hydrolysis before metallisation.
Can Aluminum Nitride Sintered be formed, bent or molded?
Shaped by tape casting (substrates), dry/isostatic pressing or injection moulding of AlN+Y2O3 powder, then de-bindered and sintered 1700–1900 °C in flowing N2 with ~15–20 % linear shrinkage.
What is the maximum service temperature of Aluminum Nitride Sintered?
Aluminum Nitride Sintered is rated for continuous use to about 1,000°C (1,832 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in Aluminum Nitride Sintered?
Yes — Aluminum Nitride Sintered is available for CNC machining with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- Engineered Materials Handbook, Vol. 4: Ceramics and Glasses — ASM International (1991)
- AlN Aluminum Nitride technical ceramic data — CoorsTek (2023)
- Fine Ceramics — Aluminum Nitride (AlN) substrate properties — Kyocera (2023)
- AlN substrate product specifications — Maruwa Co., Ltd. (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.